Staff Biographies
Sharon Downs, M.S., CT
Director
Sharon Downs serves as the Director for the DRC. She develops and recommends policies and procedures that promote inclusion and universal design in UALR programs and facilities; coordinates ongoing efforts to have a fully accessible built environment at UALR; provides training and technical assistance to faculty, staff, administrators, and students; and oversees the general direction of the department. She received her Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Arkansas, and her Bachelor’s degree from the Interpreter Education Program at UALR. She has been involved in the profession of interpreting since 1993, taught in the Interpreter Education Program at UALR for several semesters, and is RID certified. Sharon has presented at many national and international conferences, including the International Technology and Persons with Disabilities, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and the Association on Higher Education and Disability.
Melanie Thornton, M.A., LPC
Associate Director, DRC
Director, Project PACE
Melanie serves the Disability Resource Center in two capacities. She is the Associate Director and also serves as the Director of Project PACE, a grant-funded program of the Disability Resource Center. Melanie collaborates with faculty, staff, students, and administrators to create usable, equitable, and inclusive leaning environments. Melanie’s work is driven by the belief that within every person lies the capacity to change the world and that changing the world begins with having the courage to change oneself. Melanie currently works to generate dialogue and discussion around the issues of social model of disability and universal design. Melanie received her Bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and her Master’s from Gallaudet University.
Betsy Domingue, B.A., CI/CT
Interpreter & Transcriber Coordinator
Betsy is currently responsible for providing and coordinating interpreting and transcription services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. She obtained her Associate Degree in the Interpreter Training Program at Eastfield College, Mesquite, TX in 1993. She has since been interpreting primarily in the educational setting. She has national certification and has earned her B.A. from the Interpreter Education Program at UALR.
Pamela Wilson, NIC, TW 1
Staff Interpreter/Transcriber
Pamela’s association with UALR began as a contract interpreter. One year later she began to work as a transcriber for DRC. In 2004 Pam began to work for DRC as an Accessibility Specialist. Through a partnership with DRC and STaR, accessible video streams for students who are deaf or hard of hearing began to be produced. Pam’s duties included filming, editing, and captioning video streams.
Now as a staff interpreter/transcriber her primary role is to interpret and transcribe for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and assist in the scheduling of contract interpreters and transcribers.
Pamela has earned an A.A. in Interpretation: ASL/English at UALR. In 2003 she received a Harambee award for being the highest ranked minority freshman. She graduated with a 3.85 GPA. She is currently pursuing her B.A. degree. Pamela is a nationally certified TypeWell Transcriber, and is RID certified.
Katie Becker, B.A., NAD V
Staff Interpreter
Katie’s main responsibility is to provide interpreting services for students that are Vocational Rehabilitation clients who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, she manages the records and billing for hourly services to ensure they are accurate and timely, and performs a variety of other duties in DRC. She obtained her Associate Degree in the Interpreter Training Program here at UALR in 1986. She has since been interpreting in a variety of settings with her most recent appointment at the University of Arkansas’ Research and Training Center for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She has national certification and has earned a B.A. from the Interpreter Education Program at UALR.
Justin Hicks
Access Technician/Office Manager, DRC Office
Justin is the first person most people contacting DRC will speak with. He provides information, listens to concerns, and supports students in their goal of achieving an education. In addition, he manages the DRC budget records; oversees the production of alternate formats such as braille, large print, and audio tape; maintains the student database; and provides a myriad of other services. Justin was a Veterans Administration Work Study in DRC before becoming the full-time Access Technician/Office Manager.
John Barbuto, M.A., CRC
Access Consultant
John Barbuto serves as an Access Consultant for the Disability Resource Center. He recently joined the department all the way from Syracuse, NY. John earned his Master of Arts in Counseling from UALR and his Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Le Moyne College, in Syracuse, NY.
Prior to coming to UALR, John worked in many facets of the disability-related field over the last decade. In his position here, John works with faculty, staff, administrators and students toward creating inclusive and sustainable learning environments. He collaborates with students to determine appropriate accommodations, and to identify aspects of the campus environment that may present barriers.
John has a strong passion for the empowerment of all people with disabilities. He is extremely knowledgeable about many community and federally-based incentives, which are in place so that people with disabilities can experiment with employment, while maintaining their benefits and entitlements. John presents at many local and national conferences.
Cheryl Wilcox
Office Manager, Project PACE
Cheryl is the Office Manager for Project PACE. She joined our staff in January 2006 with 18 years of administrative experience with the University of Arkansas’ Rehabilitation Research & Training Center for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Cheryl’s responsibilities include coordinating workshop registration and logistics, dissemination of PACE products and resources, coordinating travel for project staff and guests, purchasing of office equipment and supplies, managing budget records, and fulfilling other administrative responsibilities. Cheryl has an Associate’s Degree in General Studies earned from UALR and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree.
Amy Hebert, M.S. CRC
PEPNet-South Outreach Specialist for Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi
Amy received her Master’s degree in Deafness Rehabilitation from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and her Bachlor’s degree in Interpreting from the UALR Interpreter Education Program. Her background includes wide range of experiences such as: Educational Interpreting, Community Interpreting, and VR Counselor for the Deaf. Prior to joining the PEPNet family, Amy worked as a Research Associate with the University of Arkansas Research and Training Center for Persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (RT-31) assisting on several federally funded research projects. Currently, Amy is pursuing her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. As a doctoral student, she continues to collaborate with RT-31 on a variety of ongoing research projects. Amy is an active member in the deaf and interpreting communities. Currently, she serves as treasurer of the Arkansas Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and as an Advisory Committee member of the UALR Interpreter Education Program.
Alvin-Bailon Zafe Haas
Interpreter
Alvin-Bailon Zafe Haas is the DRC’s newest interpreter. He earned a B.A. in interpreting from the Interpreter Education Program here at UALR. He has interpreted extensively in the community, including: adolescent and adult mental health, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. He has worked with the Arkansas Deaf-Blind Community for several years at their annual retreat; providing both tactile and restricted-field interpreting. In addition, he has volunteered for the Arkansas Association of the Deaf biennial conference, and for the AAD/UALR Cooperative Extension summer outreach program. Alvin will be providing TypeWell® speech-to-text transcription in the classroom upon completion of training. He is working toward national certification in interpreting, and has set a goal to get his M.A. degree in an interpreting related discipline.